The Love who was beside him
by ThatOtakuInClass
Summary: Mr. Conductor was used to spending his Valentine's day alone, but when Thurston asked him out, he felt quite happy, as they spend their day together, they learned where their feelings truly lie for one another, but what are those feelings? {RATED T FOR LANGUAGE, & LOW KEY YAOINESS} [Thurston X Mr. Conductor]
1. Chapter 1

**_CHAPTER: 1_**

Mr. Conductor let out a heavy & sad sounding sigh as he put on a coat, Erma cancelled on their plans last minute, claiming that there was some family event that she can't miss. Mr. Conductor didn't judge, after all, he too was raised to put family first, but he still couldn't help but frown, this was like, the millionth time she did this. '_Whatever_' he thought to himself, as he locked the door to his apartment. _'I can spend the day by myself, it's no big deal! Not like it matters at the end of the day! I'm used to spending Valentine's day alone!' _He also thought, slightly pouting, he wondered why he felt so upset about it, is it because Erma promised him that this time she wasn't going to cancel it? Or was he upset that this happened a little too often than he was happy with? Maybe... both?

He shook his head in disappointment, he really shouldn't feel upset or disappointed about it, after all, things like this happen all the time, right? Then why was there the feeling of sadness & disappointment weighing heavily in his chest & creeping up his throat? The feeling was growing as he forced himself to hold back tears, he wiped his eyes, & shook his head again "This is going to be a good day! Even if i'm spending it alone!"He told himself

He closed the front door only to be met with a bouquet of flowers in his face, he looked over the bright red blooms to see Thurston, his face a bright red. "Thurston? Why are you here? Maybe to make fun of me?" Mr. Conductor said, not like he'd be surprised if that was the case. "No! Uh...here! I heard that wretch ditched you again, & i thought these might make you feel better!" Thurston said quickly. Mr. Conductor sighed "First, that 'wretch' you're referring to has a name! & it's Erma! Second, She said she has a family event she has to attend to! & we all know that family comes first!" He responded quite defensively. Thurston rolled his bright green eyes, "If that makes you feel better! Anyways... here! Might as well accept the gift either way," Thurston said, thrusting the bouquet into Mr. Conductor's face again.

Mr. Conductor knew that it was polite to accept gifts, even if they're from your worst enemy, Mr. Conductor hesitated before he gently grabbed the flowers, Thurston turned his face to another direction when their hands touched, despite Mr. Conductor working on a train for practically his entire life, his hands were... very soft to be honest. Thurston felt his face get warmer & warmer as he blushed deeper, his heart started to pound in his head. Mr. Conductor noticed how strange Thurston was acting, this was so unlike him to act nice & polite to Mr. Conductor... at least in public, but Mr. Conductor decided to ignore it, he sniffed at the flowers & couldn't help but smile, they smelled very lovely, such a nice fragrance, his felt his troubles leave, & a nice light warm feeling replace the heaviness of sadness & disappointment in his chest & throat. He smiled even more brightly, he didn't want to admit that Thurston was right, but if his mother taught him anything, it's to give credit where it's due. Mr. Conductor swallowed his pride & smiled at Thurston "You're right Thurston, these _do _make me feel better, thank you for the flowers," Mr. Conductor said. Thurston smiled brightly & cleared his throat nervously, then he looked down & gently kicked the dirt around him, he was obviously trying to say something but he couldn't find the words. Mr. Conductor approached his friend & rival cautiously & gently held one of his hands, & with the other, gently placed it under Thurston's chin & raised his head up so he could talk to him face to face, Thurston's bright green eyes met Mr. Conductor's brown eyes, Thurston never saw such beauty up close, their noses were just about to touch, Mr. Conductor had a gentle yet strict look, Thurston felt his face get warm again. "Thurston, what's the matter? You look like you want to say something," Mr. Conductor said gently, not wanting to attract too much attention.

Thurston stammered a bit, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat & the lighter than air feeling in his chest that made it seem impossible for him to speak, but he somehow managed "Uhm... well Sonny i was wondering if you would like to spend the day together! Just the two of us! Neither of us have anything better to do today anyways so..." Thurston lost track of his words, he blushed a bit as he hid his face from Mr. Conductor.

Mr. Conductor's eyes went wide as he himself felt his face warm up as he blushed, he covered his mouth in shock, he was unsure of how he should respond, does he accept the invitation? Does he not? Well as he thought about it, it would be nice to spend the day with someone, even if that someone was a jerk to him 50% of the time. "Thurston, are you... asking me to go on a date?" Mr. Conductor blurted out, before he covered his mouth quickly, embarrassed that he made that assumption, but then he realized he still had the flowers in his hand, & almost panicked, as he didn't want them too damaged. Thurston chuckled & cleared his throat, managing to regain his composure "If that's how you want to put it then... yes i am asking you out!" Thurston replied. Mr. Conductor just stared at Thurston, surprised that his assumption was right "oh...okay, sure why not? I don't see any harm in it..." Mr. Conductor said, a lot calmer than he thought he would be. The two Troodons looked at each other before Mr. Conductor realized the flowers looked a little wilted "Oh! Give me a few minutes! I'll put these in some water & then we'll go!" Mr. Conductor said, running back into the building, Thurston smirked "alright! I'll be right here waiting for you!" He said.

-.

Mr. Conductor gently put the flowers into a vase, small enough to stay a little more fresh while he's out, he didn't want Thurston to wait for him for too long, but he started to wonder why he felt so warm around Thurston lately, sure Thurston got on his nerves & angered him several times in his life, & yes he was still mad at Thurston for cheating in that race they had with Tricia, but he _did _have several good times with him too! But Mr. Conductor felt warm, light, & nice around Thurston, which was strange given he had very similar feelings towards Erma, but was _how _was this different? He shook his head, this day is supposed to be about him & Thurston, after all, it doesn't hurt to spend quality time with friends! He smiled as he walked down the stairs, as he saw Thurston, his heart started to race, a feeling he always had around Thurston, _'What does this mean? I mean i always feel like this around him! But it feels... different at the same time!' _Mr. Conductor thought as he quickly held Thurston's hand, & instinctively pulled him closer.

"Let's go Thurston! What do you have planned for today?" Mr. Conductor asked, he was genuinely curious. Thurston smirked, as he started to walk "Oh, well... i do have a _few_ activities planned that we can do together! But what were you going to do today with Erma? That is if she _didn't_ bail on you?" Thurston asked. Mr. Conductor thought for a moment, "Well, i _did _make a reservation for lunch at that restaurant that just opened for lunch today, & we were going to do things as we go along during the day, looks like i may have to cancel the reservation," Mr. Conductor said, with a bit of sadness in his voice. Thurston scoffed "Well then that's where we're going! Might as well not waste it!" He said, wrapping his arm around Mr. Conductor. "Well, it _does _make sense when i think about it!" Mr. Conductor said, before he smiled "okay, we'll go there for lunch! & we can have the picnic for dinner! Seem fair?" Mr. Conductor said happily, hoping Thurston would agree to the idea. Thurston smiled as he brought Mr. Conductor closer "Seems like a good idea to me! Let's go!" Thurston said.

The two Troodons smiled & talked about random things as they walked to their destination.


	2. Chapter 2

**_CHAPTER: 2_**

Mr. Conductor & Thurston were quite surprised of how lavish the place looked, & the way they were dressed, made them look sort of out of place. They sat at their table waiting nervously given they didn't want too much attention on them, they both scanned the place to make sure they didn't see anyone familiar to them before they relaxed, they looked at each other, & burst out laughing "We probably brought attention to ourselves just by looking around!" Thurston said laughing. "Yes, i did notice that! We probably made ourselves look foolish for a bit!" Mr. Conductor laughed, completely agreeing with Thurston. The two laughed again, holding their sides from laughing too hard, Mr. Conductor wiped a tear from his eye "I'm going to the washroom to clean myself up a bit, i'll be right back!" He said, getting up & walking to the washroom. Thurston smiled & leaned on the table staring at Mr. Conductor lovingly, before he was snapped out of it by the waiter "excuse me sir, would you & your friend like something to drink?" He said. Thurston sat up "ah yes, we'll both have water please & thank you," Thurston said quickly. The waiter nodded "alright sir, it will be here in a few minutes!" He said. When Mr. Conductor came back he sat down across from Thurston & smiled brightly at him, they looked at the menus "oof! Look at those prices! What do you think Sonny? Should we just order something to share?" Thurston asked, "Thurston you took the words right out of my mouth! What do you think? A salad? Or something a little heavier?" Mr. Conductor replied. Thurston stared at the menu for a few minutes before he seemed .something that may satisfy them both "How about the Carrion & Gingko salad? Never heard of it, but it does sound interesting enough," Thurston replied. Mr. Conductor smiled as he nodded "Okay, we'll have that!" He said as he closed the menu.

Thurston felt warm again, & smiled as he watched Mr. Conductor, he felt as though these positive feelings have been around forever, even though he had the habit of doing things his way, & acting entitled, he really didn't want to push Mr. Conductor away, he really liked him, but he had troubles putting it into words.

Mr. Conductor glanced at Thurston & smiled himself, despite having the feeling like he always wanted to fight Thurston constantly, at the same time, he could never bring himself to do it, he didn't like to see Thurston hurt. He never liked to see anyone hurt, but he liked the feelings he gets around Thurston, but he knew that Thurston sometimes has troubles expressing his feelings in a less hostile fashion, Mr. Conductor didn't blame him or anything, sometimes he's just as guilty, he sometimes comes out as trying to be flirtatious when he actually doesn't have any interest, it makes situations seem very awkward.

-.

They had lunch without being interrupted, which was nice, both of them savoured every moment that they had uninterrupted, which was rare given their professions, while Mr. Conductor went to pay the tab, Thurston gave a very generous tip, the two walked out, satisfied with the service, Thurston looked at Mr. Conductor & smiled again "Say, i know how much you LOVE hiking, or forest trails, i know one that has a very lovely stream beside it, what do you say?" Thurston asked, Mr. Conductor smiled "Is it the one by the top of the waterfall? I haven't been there since i was a kid! Mother would take my siblings & i there all the time!" Mr. Conductor asked, sounding excited. Thurston chuckled "Maybe, i never went hiking with your family!" He replied. Mr. Conductor almost jumped happily like a small child "of course i'd like to go! Lead the way!" He said without hesitation.

Thurston smiled as it made him feel happy to see Mr. Conductor happy, he wrapped his arm around Mr. Conductor's shoulder "Well, let's go! But i do want to do some things first! The picnic spot i want us to go is on that trail to be honest," he said. Mr. Conductor smiled "Okay, i can wait, what should we do to pass the time then?" He asked. Thurston started to think then his face lit up "how about we check out the farmer's market? I heard there's one in town today! Oh! Or maybe the fair? They're only here for a few days! Or maybe...hmm...oh dear! There's almost too much!" Thurston said. Mr. Conductor smiled & hugged Thurston "how about we do all those things? Sounds like it would be lots of fun! We can enjoy every moment of it! After all, how often do we get to have a day of nothing but fun on our days off?" Mr. Conductor said in a very optimistic manner. Thurston smiled as he blushed brightly "Okay, let's go then! To the Farmer's market!' He said, grabbing Mr. Conductor's hand & leading the way closer to the train station.

Mr. Conductor's eyes lit up a bit, sure he'd seen farmer's markets before, but never had he managed to see what they're selling up close, "Wow! What should we do? Where do we go first?" He asked. Thurston chuckled at Mr. Conductor "Well, let's just browse, maybe we'll see something we like!" He said. Mr. Conductor wrapped his arm around Thurston's arm "Let's try to not get lost okay?" He whispered into Thurston's ear. Thurston made sure his tail didn't wag too hard, "If we do lose each other, let's head to the platform! We both know where it is!" He replied. Mr. Conductor smiled "Alright!" He replied, as they started to walk & look at the different booths, they both saw things they never saw before, Mr. Conductor looked at the jewellery & his eyes went wide "Thurston look!" He said, pointing at a small brooch "That looks like Mother's brooch but in green!" He said, Thurston looked at it "Wow you're right! It does! It kind of scares me!" He said laughing. Thurston pointed at a monocle "That looks like my Uncle's monocle that he lost on that one fishing trip we went to!" He said, holding back laughter, Mr. Conductor looked at it "Oh! Yes! I remember now! He was _SO _mad, he made us all go back to look for it! We were there for 4 hours, i remember how angry mother was when we got back half past 10! I never saw Mother get so mad before!" He said as they started to walk away. "OH! I remember that clearly! Uncle thought she was going to hurt him! I never saw him look so scared before or since!" Thurston added. "_What did i tell you Tom?! Sonny's home before 6! Looks at the time! It's 10:30! He should've been in bed an hour ago! What was SO important that you had to keep the kids out this late ON A SCHOOL NIGHT?!_" Thurston said semi loudly, trying to impersonate Mrs. Conductor, this Mr. Conductor laugh hard enough he started to tear up, they had to stop for Mr. Conductor to catch his breath, Thurston laughed aswell, it felt nice to share a laugh with a friend.

They spent roughly an hour at the farmer's market before the two got bored & looked at each other "So where to next?" They asked in unison, they paused long enough to realize what they just did & laughed. Mr. Conductor stood up straight "You said there was a fair in town right? Why not check it out?" Mr. Conductor said, Thurston's eyes went wide "Oh right, i forgot about that! Let's go then! We roughly have a few hours before we go on the trail & picnic this evening!" He said. Mr. Conductor & Thurston walked arm in arm to their next destination. Thurston felt his face get warm & his heart pounding, Mr. Conductor smelled quite nice today, & it made him feel happy, Mr. Conductor noticed that Thurston leaned in closer to him & it too made his face warm & he blushed, Thurston smelled a bit musky, but it was faint enough that it didn't bother him, Mr. Conductor felt his chest warm up, as he couldn't help but smile, he felt like he didn't want the day to end.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER: 3**

Both troodons made it to the fairgrounds, it was sort of packed, with lots of families, Mr. Conductor felt as though he was a _little _out of place, his expression screamed it! Thurston noticed this & held his hand & gently nuzzled him "It's okay, no one is going to notice us! How about we go have some fun! If you get nervous or overwhelmed we can leave, or go somewhere quiet," He whispered. Mr. Conductor felt more at ease & he let out a heavy sigh "Okay," he replied. In such a packed place, Mr. Conductor felt safer with Thurston by his side, which really said something to him. _'Thurston & i are friends, just friends! But... I'm having the same feelings that i have with Erma for Thurston, but the ones for him are stronger! I feel safe & comfortable, & like i can be myself around him...what is my heart trying to tell me?! I'm so confused...' _Mr. Conductor thought as he followed Thurston through the crowd, not once letting go of his hand. Mr. Conductor felt a pressure of negativity & anxiety rise from the pit of his stomach to his chest & reach up all the way up his throat, but each time he looked at Thurston, the feeling went away. Thurston felt pressure of anxiety press against his chest, & reach halfway up his throat, was he doing the right thing? Will Mr. Conductor ever see how he truly feels? Thurston was afraid that this was all a dream & that he'll wake up in his bed in the morning & none if this ever happened. It just feels like this was just too good to be true! Thurston squeezed Mr. Conductor's hand tightly, as he managed to hold back his own tears, he looked at Mr. Conductor, who seemed to be star struck. Mr. Conductor's eyes went wide as he looked at Thurston.

"Thurston? Are you okay? Should we go somewhere quiet?" Mr. Conductor asked, he sounded so concerned. Thurston wiped the tears from his face, as he slowed down & stopped "I'm fine," he replied defensively. Mr. Conductor pulled Thurston into a hug "I know you're not fine, it's okay to tell me, i won't judge," he whispered. Thurston hugged Mr. Conductor back & tried to bury his face into the Conductor's neck "Can i tell you...later?" He asked. Mr. Conductor smiled & looked into Thurston's eyes "If that makes you feel better, than it makes me feel better," he replied. Thurston smiled tearfully, "Okay, so where do you want to go first? There's some swings, a ferris wheel, i think a carousel? But i think we'll get stares on that one, or maybe that boat ride? So many choices!" Thurston said, trying to change the mood to one that was more positive. Mr. Conductor watched, not really paying attention like he should've, he smiled almost lovingly at Thurston, then he snapped out of it "Maybe the boat? I've never been on a boat when i'm not at work! Nor have i been on any of these rides! To be honest... this is the first time I've ever been at a fair!" He said with a gentle smile. Thurston smiled at him "Alright, we can go to the boats first! It's just a boat ride," Thurston said, gently holding Mr. Conductor's hand & they started to walk there, it wasn't one of those _'romantic' _rides, everyone got on there, at least as far as Thurston knows. They both smiled & tried to hold in their giggling, they felt like they were getting in touch with their inner child, they smiled & laughed "We haven't even been on this for a minute & i'm already having fun!" Mr. Conductor said. Thurston smiled brightly, feeling as though the breeze could carry him away, he felt so good to see Mr. Conductor smile & laugh, & generally having fun! He held Mr. Conductor's hand & tightened his grip, he felt so... tempted... he leaned in closer to Mr. Conductor's cheek, but he stopped himself, there's a time & a place for that type of stuff, plus it was too early... he sat back down & cherished the moment, Mr. Conductor was honestly getting distracted by almost everything around him, sure, he got to see a lot of things on the riverboat before, but didn't have the chance to really take it all in given he was working. He glaced at Thurston who immediately looked in another direction, blushing deeply, that was when Mr. Conductor noticed Thurston was holding his hand, not like he didn't mind it of course.

He blushed as well, his face always got warm when it did, & his heart started to race a bit. Mr. Conductor adjusted himself to be closer to Thurston & he squeezed his hand in return _'He's just concerned about how i'm doing! I should've done a better job hiding my tears, now he's going to be concerned all day,' _Thurston thought. But he gently placed his head on Mr. Conductor's shoulder, Mr. Conductor didn't say anything, but instead, wrapped his arm around Thurston's shoulder, & pulled him closer, it was very comforting. Thurston felt all the heavy weight of his sadness dissipate & be replaced by a warm, comforting feeling, Thurston closed his eyes & savoured each & every second they were like this. Mr. Conductor didn't know why he did what he did, it just felt like Thurston needed the comfort, after all... Thurston would've done the same thing for him, that is... if they were alone. Mr. Conductor savoured each second that he spent holding Thurston, & even savoured the scene as well, he took a few seconds to check on Thurston _'Did he fall asleep? Should i wake him? No... why not savour this? He does look cute like this... wait... what am i saying? We're just friends... right?' _Mr. Conductor's thoughts were all over the place again. His face became redder & redder, but then he smiled, & held Thurston's hand with his other, he was tempted to kiss Thurston's forehead, but that would be weird, plus he didn't know if Thurston even swung that way, or if he does himself, the temptation made Mr. Conductor feel a little guilty _'No matter how tempting it is, there's a time & a place for that kind of stuff! This fits into neither category!' _Mr. Conductor thought. He leaned back, & only shook Thurston awake when they were approaching the end of the boat ride. Thurston didn't realize that he fell alseep, & apologized profusely to Mr. Conductor, who didn't mind it at all, Mr. Conductor didn't want to tell Thurston that he looked adorable either, that would probably be a _little _inappropriate to say, in public at least.

Thurston & Mr. Conductor honestly got bored in less than an hour, so they decided to go for a walk in the park, that couldn't hurt, they still had another two hours before they would go for the trail for their evening picnic, maybe they might go for a longer walk by the shore at the bottom of the waterfall afterwards! That made them both very excited, but they both realized that they were sounding a lot like a couple, well... a few mutual friends told them that they always acted like a couple, just the kind that were prone to have a _lot _of arguments, & that it was only a matter of time, but they couldn't be true! They're just friends! Thurston looked at Mr. Conductor with a gentle smile, & he held his hand firmly, "Well Sonny Boy, the flowers seem to be in bloom a bit early this year," he said gesturing towards some bright yellow tulips. Mr. Conductor nodded "Yes, it seems you're right again! Oh, Thurston! I have something for you," Mr. Conductor said, as he started to rummage through his pockets. Thurston was at first confused, then Mr. Conductor pulled out a small green box "I got this for you, i was supposed to give it to you on your birthday but i honestly forgot about it! Sorry," Mr. Conductor said, giving the small box to Thurston. Thurston held it in his hands, he opened the box & there was a brand new watch, it looked a lot like his own, but it was different at the same time, he looked up at Mr. Conductor "I heard that your watch broke on you, so i figured it would be nice to get you a new one for your birthday, given you helped celebrate mine with the kids," he said. Thurston didn't hesitate to put it on his wrist, it looked like it was the same watch, if you didn't pay close attention, he couldn't help but smile brightly as he pulled Mr. Conductor into a tight hug "Thank you Sonny! I love it!" He said happily. Mr. Conductor hugged him back "You're welcome Thurston, i'm glad that you like it!" He replied.

The two troodons continued their walk through the park, sitting at a bench that faced a fountain, they enjoyed the cool breeze, they looked at each other & smiled, they spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the park, just enjoying being in nature & the sound of birds singing, they did break the silence by having a short conversation or two, but it felt so different & nice to be spending the day together without a single disagreement it felt strange, yet nice at the same time.

The two held hands & occasionally looked at each other, at some point Thurston & Mr. Conductor got captivated by each other & seemed to lean closer towards each other, they closed their eyes as they drew closer to each other, but just before their lips could meet, the sound of children laughing & playing nearby made them snap out of it & they almost shoved each other away. _'Were we just about to...' _Thurston thought, his face bright red. _'What am i doing? We were just about to- This isn't appropriate! Men shouldn't love other men like that! Grandfather said so! That it's wrong! But... why does it feel so right?' _Mr. Conductor thought, his face also a bright red. They stared at one another in shock before the sound of the clock tower made them snap back into reality. "Well, look at the time! We really should be heading to the trail now! I want to get to the spot i chose for our picnic before it gets dark!" Thurston said quickly.

Mr. Conductor didn't say anything, he only nodded, Thurston stood up & offered his hand to Mr. Conductor, who took it immediately, they stood up & walked arm in arm to Thurston's place to pick up the picnic basket, Mr. Conductor blushed as he looked at Thurston _'We definitely almost kissed back there, as much as i want to deny it! There was no mistake, the only other time i almost kissed someone was Erma, but we ran away when we had the chance to finish what we started... but Thurston & i didn't run away, we're still here... together! My heart is starting to ache now that i really think about it! Is my choice to be with Erma the right one? Is it worth it to continue this goose chase when i could be spending it looking for the right person? Is my special someone truly Thurston? Or is it Erma? Do i tell Thurston that i have developed feelings for him? Does he even return my feelings? I need to tell Thurston...but the larger question is... when is an appropriate time to bring it up?' _Mr. Conductor thought, tears started to sting his eyes, he wiped the tears from his eyes before Thurston could even notice.

Thurston's heart raced as he started to really think _'we almost kissed! That was no coincidence! That wasn't a figment of my imagination! We almost kissed! I don't know how to tell Sonny how much i love him! I'm not sure if he feels the same way! There's only one way to know once & for all! I have to confess! I must! & i must take his answer like a man! Even if he rejects me, i won't cry, at least not in front of him, even if i feel like i'm stealing him from Erma, that will never change the fact that i feel like she doesn't deserve him! I can't stand to see him so upset again, i want to be the one that brings him joy & happiness! Even when we fight, yell & scream at each other! At the end of the day, we would still love each other! I know that my jealousy gets the better of me the majority of the time! I just... want him to know... how much... i love him!' Thurston _thought as tears began to sting his eyes, but this time, they didn't fall, this time... he won the battle.

_'This will be the night we know for certain! Once & for all! Where our feelings towards one another truly lie!'_


	4. Chapter 4

**{CHAPTER: 4 & FINAL CHAPTER}**

Thurston held Mr. Conductor's hand in a tight & firm grip as he lead him to a trail some ways out of town & above the waterfall. Mr. Conductor had been very quiet, & he looked so puzzled with something, but Thurston didn't want to press the issue, Mr. Conductor said he was thinking about something very personal & Thurston wanted to respect that.

The sound of water rushing calmed both of them, the sun was just starting to set when they arrived at the spot, Thurston placed a blanket down & both of them sat there in silence for a while, Thurston couldn't take it anymore so he decided to break the long, awkward silence "So... i made us some sandwiches... i will tell you now that i'm not the best cook..." Thurston said, chuckling. Mr. Conductor smiled "That's okay, after being the taste tester for my younger sister when she used to make sweets every Valentine's day for years, i think i can stomach almost anything!" He said laughing.

Thurston laughed "But not anything spicy that's for sure! I remember you used to love spicy food when we were younger, what happened?" He asked, leaning towards him. Mr. Conductor looked a little embarrassed "well... Sarah once had a crush on this one guy in her class, & she learned that he _loved _spicy food, so after begging mother to get her some spices for _four months __straight__._.. mother finally caved & got them for her. Sarah mixed them with that year's batch of sweets & made me try them... little did we know, she put too much in! I've never been able to stomach anything spicy since, not to mention it was the last time mother got her anything food related for her to make into sweets," Mr. Conductor explained. Thurston winced, knowing Mr. Conductor let out certain details on purpose, for Thurston's sake, "That would explain why you didn't show up to school for a week that year," he said, grabbing a sandwich. Mr. Conductor laughed, also grabbing a sandwich "yes, that was a hectic year! Mother was extra stressed out that year... that was not Me, Ellie & Luna's year at all! So many trips to the doctor..." Mr. Conductor said, taking a sip of water from his water gourd. Thurston chuckled & nodded "That wasn't my year either, my older sister kept fighting with our mother, i broke my leg whilst falling out of a tree, among other things," Thurston said. Mr. Conductor cringed "yes, i remembered that day very vivdly," he said.

The two sat in silence, eating their meals "Thurston, don't put yourself down too much, these sandwiches are great!" Mr. Conductor said, smiling. Thurston smiled back "Really? You think so? I did try my best while making them..." he said. "Thurston... may i... say something?" Mr. Conductor asked, playing with his tie nervously. Thurston made himself to sit up straight "of course, what is it?" He answered. Mr. Conductor adjusted himself so that they were facing each other, he reached out & held both of Thurston's hands "Thank you for spending the day with me, it really meant a lot! It felt very special!" He said. Thurston smiled brightly, his heart started to race, he started to heat up a bit as he thought of a response "You're welcome, it was actually really nice to spend time with you without the fighting..." Thurston said quickly. "You think so to? That makes me feel better! It really does!" Mr. Conductor added. They continued their meal, enjoying the nature that was changing around them at the same time! They both felt their bodies warm up & get seemingly lighter, they kept holding each other's hands, as the sun had begun to set over the horizon Thurston stood up, & placed his hands on his hips, in a very confident manner, he turned to face Mr. Conductor, he smirked a bit seductively, which made Mr. Conductor blush "Let's go, the waterfall looks better during the early night, also it's a good place to talk about... uh... stuff," Thurston said nervously. Mr. Conductor nodded "Okay, i guess we could talk there, let's clean up & go," he said, starting to fold up the blanket, Thurston smiled as he helped with the clean up.

While they were making their way down, Thurston gently placed his hand on Mr. Conductor's waist, this made Mr. Conductor instantly blush, but he didn't fight it, instead he felt himself wanting more! But more of what? He wanted more of what? It was definitely something he barely experienced before. "What's wrong Sonny Boy?" Thurston whispered. Mr. Conductor blushed even more "I'm fine Thurston, really, how far is it to the bottom?" He asked, trying to change the subject. Thurston smirked "Not far at all, at most, it's a twenty minute walk from where we are right now," he said. He pulled Mr. Conductor closer to him, he really wanted to just kiss him at that very moment, but he didn't, instead he smiled brightly at Mr. Conductor, who smiled in return.

The walk started to feel a little longer than it actually was, maybe because of the awkward situation that had happened earlier, when they heard the waterfall, Thurston looked at Mr. Conductor "race you!" He said playfully, as he started to run. Mr. Conductor ran right behind him laughing "No fair! You had a head start!" He yelled. As they approached the water's edge, Thurston tripped & fell into the water, Mr. Conductor, without hesitation jumped into the water & right into Thurston's arms. "Hey! Only one of us needs to get soaked! You'll catch a cold Sonny!" Thurston yelled. Mr. Conductor looked up & smiled at Thurston "Maybe a hug from my favourite friend & rival may help fight off any illnesses?" Mr. Conductor replied. "If i get sick, you'll have to help me get better! Deal?' Thurston said. Mr. Conductor thought for a moment then smiled "alright, seems to be more than fair!" He replied.

They hugged each other tightly, Thurston held Mr. Conductor close, then they looked deep into one another's eyes "Sonny...i need to tell you something important... & i want your honest answer," Thurston said. Mr. Conductor nodded "okay, what is it that you want to tell me?" He asked. Thurston bit his lower lip & held Mr. Conductor, wrapping his arms around his waist, placing his head on Mr. Conductor's shoulder, he felt something press against his throat internally, tears stining his eyes "I... always liked you... & not in a _i want to be your best friend forever, & i'll have your back no matter what! _type of like, but a _i want to spend the rest of ny life with you & only you _type of like..." he managed to say, a few tears rolling down his cheeks. "Now... i'm not sure that you feel the same way, & i have a feeling that... after tonight... our relationship isn't going to be what it was..." he added, his voice starting to break. Mr. Conductor's eyes widened, he didn't know what to say, he wanted to say so much, they just sat in silence for a few minutes "Well... no answer... is still an answer... it's okay that you don't like me in that way, i... i just hope that this doesn't hurt our relationship too much! ... just forget i said anything!" Thurston cried, trying to get up, to attempt to run away, but Mr. Conductor grabbed his hand. "Please! Thurston! Don't leave! I want to tell you something myself! So please... give me a chance! To at least explain! Please... i... i had some type of feeling for you for some time now! But i... i... i don't know how to say it! Please Thurston! Don't leave! Not yet at least," Mr. Conductor sobbed, not wanting Thurston to leave him there, he grabbed Thurston's hand so tightly. Thurston sobbed a bit, "I'm so sorry... i did it again... didn't i?" He said. Mr. Conductor's sobs changed to a gentle laugh "you were always bad at confessions! Not like i'm any better... we're both terrible at this..." Mr. Conductor said, forcing himself to smile. Thurston fell to his knees, & leaned towards Mr. Conductor, both of them sobbing uncontrollably "I... i thought that Erma was... that we were... but then...& i felt... like... i could be myself again... it was... too long... i missed you... so so much!" Mr. Conductor said through sobs, his face buried in his hands. "I know... i wished that... i could've at least said... goodbye that day... i regret not doing that! I love you! I really do!" Thurston sobbed. "Ever since you came back a few months ago! All of it! All of my feelings! They all came back to me all at once! They hit me like a freight train! It hurt! It really did... i never thought we would've gone straight back to fighting again! I had hopes that our relationship would've been different when you came back... i really did... i should've waited! I should've waited for you Thurston! But i..." Mr. Conductor started to cry uncontrollably now. Thurston wrapped his arms around Mr. Conductor "It's alright! I wasn't any better! I really wasn't! Would you please... forgive me..." Thurston sobbed. Mr. Conductor sat up, tears streaming down his cheeks "I still don't know how to say what my feelings are towards you! I really want you to know so much!" He cried. Thurston held Mr. Conductor's face & looked him in the eyes "Then... show it! What does Sonny feel? How does he want to show it? Actions speak louder than words you know!" He yelled. Mr. Conductor looked at him, still sobbing a bit, then he forced himself to stop "are... you sure you want me to act upon them?" Mr. Conductor sobbed. "Yes Sonny! Do it! I just want to know!" Thurston yelled. "What i feel... the only way for you to know, is for you to feel this with me!" Mr. Conductor said quickly, grabbing Thurston by the collar of his shirt, & yanking him towards him, Thurston shut his eyes, but felt his & Mr. Conductor's lips connect, The way they took short gasps of air, the way their tongues danced, the longer they kissed, the more they wanted to be in each other's arms. Thurston pulled Mr. Conductor closer, Mr. Conductor wrapped his arms round Thurston's neck, they paused to catch their breath they looked into each other's eyes "Do you understand how i feel now Thurston?" Mr. Conductor asked. Thurston nodded "Yes, i completely understand now... how long have you..." Thurston was cut off by Mr. Conductor shushing him "It's best for the both of us that i don't answer that," he cooed. Thurston smiled tearfully "okay, may i... have another... kiss please?" Thurston asked. Mr. Conductor smiled, "of course... anything for my favourite rival..." he replied, kissing Thurston again. Thurston stood up & picked up Mr. Conductor, but Mr. Conductor didn't stop Thurston, he was then gently put down on the shore, their lips separated, & they looked into each other's eyes, "Today was a good day... i'm glad that i found the one who loved me for me..." Mr. Conductor said. Thurston smiled "It was my pleasure Sonny! I wpuld do it more often if we weren't so busy all the time!" He replied. Mr. Conductor smiled & kissed Thurston's cheek "you know, i would really like to spend more quality time with you alone more often!" Mr. Conductor whispered. Thurston smirked "see you tomorrow after work then? I do know that you live in that old apartment above the train station!" Thurston said laughing. Mr. Conductor playfully pouted "well, would you prefer me to still live with mother?" He asked. Thurston's eyes went wide with embarrassment "oh heavens no! Nevermind! I get your point! That would be a whole new level of awkward!" He said quickly. Mr. Conductor laughed & hugged Thurston "let's go back to my place it's closer & we both need a warm bath after we've been soaking in this river! We don't want to get sock now do we?" Mr. Conductor asked. Thurston scoffed "of course not!" He replied. They got up, & started to make their way home, Mr. Conductor leaning his head on Thurston's shoulder, & Thurston with his arm around Mr. Conductor's shoulder, they both enjoyed the day, & were made much happier now that they knew where their hearts lie, but at the same time they both knew they would be right back to their old ways tomorrow... boy did they look forward to that...


End file.
